William russel prince



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with the heel thereof, to support WILLIAM vMisset PRINCE, or PARKERSBURG, weer VIRGINIA Letters Patent No. 100,667, dated March 8, l1870.

nvrpnovgMenerl IN Potrero-BIGGER?,

HOF.

To all wlw-m, lit may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RUSSEL Pinson, of Parkelsburg, in the county West Virginia, have invented a new and improved Potato-Digger; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe construction and operation of the same, reference being had t0 the accompanying drawings making a ypart of this specification, in -which- A Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Figure 2 is a plan view.

Like letters in both figures of the drawings indicate like parts. I

My invention consists vin the construction of an ordinary cast-iron plow-beam, with y curved shank, but having an arm either cast or bolted horizontally the agitator-wheel.

The shovel is bolted to the foot of the shank, and a riddle is hinged to an extension-plate of the shovel, the riddle having a shaking motion imparted to it by means of an angular piece attached to the rear and under side of the riddle;

i I place an agitatol'\vl|eel, wit-h ratchet-pins arranged around the wheel at equal distances apart, at the end of the above-named arm, so that the pins act directly on the angular piece upon the riddle, which, being at the end'of the arm, serves to support the riddle.-

I am aware of the patent of T. N. Hendersonz in' which the wheel is set back fromthe end of the arm, and the pins thereof communicate motion to the riddie through crank levers; `butthey are objectionable, because they vcomplicate the machine unnecessarily, and besides, they act too indirectly to impart 'at shaking motion ato the riddle sufficient to loosen the ldirt well from the potatoes.

The object soughtfor in this invent-ion is to coustruot a simpleand light machine, and to lessen its draft by dispensing with a cumbersome frame-work.

This is accomplished by constructing the shank and arm in one plane, thus enabling the implement to be managed as ea'sily as a plow.

In the adaptation of' the beam for the purpose described, 'I am enabled to 4use the ordinary plow-han A dles, which are held by pivot-bolts to the sides ot' the beam, and made adjust-able by a, slotted arm being keyed to the curveof the shank. 'l

I also use a knife cleaner, pivoted on the side of the shank of beam, which has a' rod connecting with-it, hy which said knife cleaner may be so operated as to `clean or cut away the vines that accumulate on the shovel during its operation..

I construct and operate my invention as follows:

A is thc riddle, hinged to projections a on thel nnof Wood, and State of der side of plate b, which is a continuation off'tlic plow or shovel B.'

and is bolted thereto, the heads ot' the bolts being counter-sunk, so asto present a smooth, even surface where `the joint is formed. 'j lhe shovel, it' found desirable or practicable, may h'e so made. as to extend up to the proper inclination without the addition of the plate.

C G are the handles, the ends of which are secured to the sides of the beam D by a pivot-bolt and screwnut, c, and supported by the arms d, which "embrace the curve of the beam, and are lheld thereto by .the key c, ,which is passed through-a slot in the arms on the back of the curve, the upperends pi' the arms being bolted to the sides of the handles, about rthe center thereof.` Thus, by loosening the key and slipping the arms up or down' on the curve of the beam, the handles may be raised or lowered as occa?1 sion may require. E is an arm bolted at one end to Lne neel of the beam, or cast solid therewith, and having a pivot or shortaxle at the opposite end, on which is placed a wheel, provided with a suitable number of pins, f, which are arranged around the wheel at equal distances apart, v

Fis an angular piece, one end of which is bolted to the under side of the middle plate or bar of the riddle, audthe other also to the under sideoi' the front cross-bar of the frame thereof. v

The arm- E extends sufficiently inward, so that lthe end of this angular piecel will rest on a pin oi'. the wheel. Thus, as the wheel revolves, each p iuwill impinge against the end of the angular piece, and cause the riddle to b e given a shaking motion.

G is the 'knife or cleaner, secured to the side of the beam by a pivot-bolt and screw-uut, and having a rod, y, connecting .with its upper end, which rod extends out a little beyond the cross-brace of' the handle, being secured thereto by astaple, or in any suitable manner.

Thus the operator, by pulling theyrvod toward him,

will cause the knife to cut or clean away the vines of the potatoes that may accumulate `on the plow or shovel during its operation. .V

' The potatoes, as they are dug or plowed up, pass over onto the riddle, where the shaking motion of it loosens the dirtv from them and leaves them in such shape as that they will notbe liable to be coveredup by the dirt in the track of the plow.

H is a wheel, attached as. ordinarily to the forward end ofthe beam, for regulating the draft of the plow.

The edge ot' the shovel overlaps Vthat of' the plate Claim y and under side of the riddle, the whole being construeted and operated as herenbefore set forth. I a Potatodggel, the CODS'I'UCO" 0f the DMW* As evidence that I claim the foregongas my iubem D, having the ffm E either Cast 0" bolted '00 vention, I have hereunto set my hand in the presthe heel of the shank 1u the same plane, for the supence of two witnesses port of the agitator-wheel and riddle A, Awhen a d- W R PRINCE reet- :md continuously-interimittent motion is imparted Witnesses: tothe latter by means of pins upon the face of the yV. EL IOLFE wheel, which strikes a projection, F, upon the rear WARREN MOREHEAD. 

